Jon Salazar
Jon-Paul Salazar (born September 18, 1987) better known by his ring name Jon Salazar, is an American professional fighter with Hispanic ancestry. While not garnering much media attention as his close family friend, Johnny Holliday (though, he has no relation to Holliday's agent, Jon Salazar), he has joined different promotions just for the sheer sport of it. Early Life Because the majority of his home life has been left private, an accurate biography is rather difficult to compose. Salazar was born September 18, 1987 on the North Side of Chicago. Growing up, being the one of the biggest men in the school, he found himself subject to ridicule, and with a short temper, resorted many times to fist fights. Ruthless Wrestling Alliance In June of 2003, Salazar had spoken with Tony Cairo after hearing about a backyard wrestling federation called the Ruthless Wrestling Alliance. He had garnered some information, and then went right in with only his knowledge of street brawling. He made his debut, attacking Mike Caputo on an edition of RWA: High Voltage, costing Caputo the match. He was then recruited by Ed the Monkey and the Cereal Killer to join Yer Face, a stable of all the RWA's “good guys”. Just a week later, he was set to make his in-ring debut against Caputo at RWA: Boiling Point. During the match, "The Franchize" (now known as "The Dramasetter" JC Smallzz) blinded Salazar with a powder which allowed Caputo to use his finisher and gain the win over Salazar. While fighting Caputo, Salazar's left knee was injured severely during the match. Later tests showed that he had torn his ACL, and was to wear a leg immobilizer for 8 weeks. However, he wore it for only one, and with the aid of a brace that would help regulate some sort of movement, he appeared on all shows without delving the severity of it. His second match was to fight Dan Nagy and Reckless Abandon, to which he was pinned by Reckless Abandon after a chair shot by Nagy. This set the stage for a grudge match between Salazar and Nagy, which led to a 2nd chair shot, and a loss. The chair had dented itself all around Salazar's head, and had actually lost one of its screws because of the impact against Salazar's skull. Amazingly, he sustained no permanent damage. This chair shot would be (and still is) used in many highlight reels for suburban backyard wrestling federations, as well as appearing on a highlight clip in a Backyard Wrestling tribute video. Immediately following Salazar's match with Nagy, Tony Cairo resurfaced in the Ruthless Wrestling Alliance, and began to belittle Salazar. This was the result of a bitter war of words on the Ruthless Wrestling Alliance's forum. After going on a verbal tirade, calling himself “the best ever”, and “the man with more wins than anyone could ever count”, Cairo began walking away. Salazar pursued Cairo, dragged him back to the ring, rolled him up in a schoolboy pin, and a referee counted to 3. Salazar stood up, looked the shocked Cairo, and said “Salazar: 1, Cairo: 0”, and walked away. The Higher Power of the RWA had booked a match between Salazar and Tony Cairo for their next big event, Reigns Supreme. The two were to square off in a no-holds barred match, where anything goes, but one man must walk out the winner and a pin must be made in the ring. The match went everywhere. Into the stands, backstage, and even outside of the arena. Tables, chairs, and even cookie sheets were used. The referee in this match was pulled into the middle of the action by Tony Cairo, and the referee was struck by a punch by Salazar, knocking him down. Cairo took this opportunity to capitalize, attacking Salazar, throwing him through a table, delivering a Cairopracter, cracking a chair over his head, and then holding Salazar so Cairo's bodyguard, Onjip Fonik, could attack as well. Onjip nailed a series of punches, and wound up for a clothesline, to which Salazar broke free from Cairo's hold and ducked the clothesline, as Onjip clotheslined Cairo. Salazar rolled behind Onjip, stood up, and delivered the Box Office Blast to Onjip. As Cairo stood, he too was given the Box Office Blast. The referee, in retaliation for Cairo's cowardice, made a fast count, declaring Salazar the winner. By this time, Yer Face was disbanded, and Salazar continued his feud with Tony Cairo with no other official matches set up. Salazar was booked in a match with Ricardo Sanchez III, and won the match via DQ after El Hornito had run in and attacked Salazar. He was saved by Pinche Ma'dre Miguel, and the two struck a friendship. The two began wrestling together as 'The Connection”, and were set to meet Sanchez & El Hornito (collectively known as Los Mexicanos Nuevos) at RWA: Corporal Punishment. The tag-team were clearly the fan-favorites throughout the match, though the team lost when El Hornito performed the 451 Splash on Salazar, gaining the win for his team. The Connection, though, continued to gain fan support, as well as striking a friendship with the Cereal Killer. Pinche & Cereal Killer both believed that Salazar was “too soft”, and the only way for him to unleash his anger and win matches was by showing him “touch love”. Every week, one or the other would attack him, or refuse to help him in a tag-match. Salazar was unable to win matches as a result, and was further attacked. Angered about the tough love, Salazar demanded the Higher Power to book The Connection (consisting of Salazar & Pinche, with Cereal Killer as manager) to run a tag-team gauntlet at RWA: Absolute Zero, the winners of the match being the ones who would fight JC Smallzz & Daiquiri (the reigning champs) later on in the show. The match was granted. Salazar was on top of his game that night, along with Pinche, as they defeated the New Abortion (Reckless Abandon & Dehok) and Brooklyn's Most Wanted (Jay & Scott Ortiz), but were stopped by Ego Trip (Brian Denny & Dan Nagy). Denny was able to slow Salazar down enough to get him lying prone, and Denny flew with a chair, dropkicking it into Salazar's face. Salazar, in pain, got up and attempted to fight, but received a Maui Owee by Nagy, an Ego Trip from Denny, and finally, a flying elbow drop from Denny to be pinned, and giving Ego Trip the win. When Salazar came around, he went on a rampage, trashing the ring, picking up a chair, and chasing Denny backstage and out of the arena. Salazar was finally commended by Pinche & Killer for letting his anger show. Salazar did get his revenge on Denny later that night in the Ruthless Rumble, as Salazar took out Onjip Fonik, Tony Cairo, and Brian Denny with a steel chair. He worked his way to being one of the final 3 in the match, being eliminated by JC Smallzz, who then eliminated Dan Nagy, gaining the win. The RWA was inexplicably bought and changed into the RCW. After just a few matches, Salazar had decided to end his contract with RCW. Mid-American Wrestling League Salazar was brought in to rival Mr. Showtime, who had been riding high as a fan favorite. Salazar's character was to expose Showtime as a fraud, which played out. However, one night out of kayfabe, it was shown that the two were friends, and as such, the whole storyline fell through. In his time in MAWL, Salazar served as a Co-GM of one of the two shows, as well as being a former I-Net Champion, garnering a win over the seldom beaten Armando Pedraza. RWA: The Rebirth The RCW was bought out and changed back to the RWA (again, inexplicably). Salazar was brought in again for a one time show, in which he defeated Spike in a 15 minute brawl, but later that night lost a Live Title match to the RWA Legend, Daiquiri. This show was the last time anyone had seen Salazar in the mainstream. In wrestling *'Finishing and signature moves' **''Party Crasher'' (Sitout facebuster) **''Cuban Necktie'' (Diving Cutter) **''Skank Bank!'' (Salazar begins to dance skank-style, while delivering stiff kicks at various body parts of a downed opponent) **Flapjack **Multiple punch variations including *** Jab *** Cross *** Hook *** Uppercut *** Hammer Fist *** Haymaker ** Various clotheslines **Forward Russian Legsweep **Running crossbody **Spear *'Signature Taunts' **Bring It On (Hand motion telling the opponent to come) *'Nicknames' **'JPS' *'Theme Songs' **'"Sell Out" by Reel Big Fish *'Quotes''' **"Re-re." (Truncated version of "retard". Referring to opponent.) **"Why you talking crazy for, mang?" (Said in a Cuban accent.) Championships & Accomplishments *'Mid-American Wrestling League' ** I-Net Champion